1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a device for testing fresh or unset concrete and mortar.
2. Background Art
To carry out such testing of unset concrete and mortar, samples are taken at the construction site and tested in a laboratory far from the site. Since construction proceeds during this testing, the results of the tests are often available only after the construction has already progressed much further so that defects are only discovered after it is practically no longer possible to remedy them, e.g. when parts of the erected building would have to be demolished. This is a very unsatisfactory situation.
In addition, a large part of the damage occurring in concrete constructions can be traced back to errors in the processing of the concrete. Accordingly, it is necessary to test the products produced by companies at the points of delivery, that is, in the case of concrete, prior to pouring. For example, tests should be carried out when delivery of the fresh concrete on the construction site is made by the ready-mixed concrete factory to the firm executing the construction work. Testing of unset concrete, as well as hardened concrete and starting materials is determined by the Swiss Engineer and Architect, or SIA, Standard 162, edition 1989. In order to carry out these tests, particularly on unset concrete, it has substantially been the case that a large number of very different devices are necessary. Acquiring and storing the many different devices obtained from various producers is extremely costly.